WASHINGTON — President Obama says the late actor and director Harold Ramis, a native of his hometown of Chicago, was one of America’s “greatest satirists.”

In a statement, the president recalled watching Ramis’ iconic movies, including “Animal House” and “Ghostbusters.”

“When we watched his movies … we didn’t just laugh until it hurt,” Obama said. “We questioned authority. We identified with the outsider. We rooted for the underdog. And through it all, we never lost our faith in happy endings.”

The president, along with first lady Michelle Obama, also said “our thoughts and prayers are with Harold’s wife, Erica, his children and grandchildren, and all those who loved him, who quote his work with abandon, and who hope that he received total consciousness.”